Iranian Technology Expert Ardalan Alyasinfar: A Single Attack In Low Earth Orbit Could Cripple Global... (original) (raw)

Iranian technology and AI expert Ardalan Alyasinfar said in a May 16, 2026 appearance on IRINN TV (Iran) that a single attack in Low Earth Orbit could trigger a "highly effective" cascading crisis capable of compromising the world’s satellite infrastructure. He suggested that such an attack could be more effective than attempting to evade air-defense systems in conventional strikes against targets on the ground.

Ardalan Alyasinfar: "One of the greatest crises we will be facing in the coming years is the accumulation of space debris from satellites in Low Earth Orbit. Any disruption of any kind in this orbit can trigger a chain reaction that will cause a crisis, and since the cost of space technology is really high..."

Interviewer 1: "For instance, a single explosion could send satellites into a collision course, knocking them out of orbit and triggering a catastrophic cascade effect. "

Alyasinfar: "This is a much easier task than penetrating multi-layered defense systems in order to strike a country on the ground. It's a simpler attack, but it would create a catastrophic crisis in space."

Interviewer 2: "In other words, rather than launching a missile to target somewhere, where it would have to bypass defense systems, it is possible to target the Low Earth Orbit directly, which is the lowest and closest orbit to Earth. An explosion there would compromise the entire global satellite infrastructure."

Alyasinfar: "It could be a highly effective trigger for a crisis."